Giant Anteater Flashcards
How long is the giant anteater?
7 feet
How much does a giant anteater weigh?
120 pounds
What is the gestation period in days of a giant anteater?
190 days
How many babies does the giant anteater have?
One.
What is peculiar about the way giant anteaters conceive their young?
They do it standing up.
What do young giant anteaters do immediately after being born?
Climb onto their mothers back.
How old are giant anteaters when they are sexually mature?
2 years
What is the lifespan of the giant anteater?
10 - 15 years.
What is the range and habitat of the giant anteater?
Central and South America in rainforest.
How many insects will the giant anteater eat per day?
35,000
Are insects all giant anteaters can eat?
No, they can also eat fruit.
Are giant anteaters social animals?
No. They are solitary.
Are giant anteaters aggressive? How do they attack?
No, they are not aggressive, but will defend themselves from attack. They use their strong claws to attack.
How long are the claws of the giant anteater?
4 inches
What is the body temperature of the giant anteater?
90 degrees
Why do giant anteaters walk on their knuckles?
They do it to keep their claws from being ruined.
Why doesn’t walking on its knuckles hurt the giant anteater?
Because the floor of their habitat is soft.
Do giant anteaters have a good sense of smell?
Yes.
What is the main predator of the giant anteater?
The jaguar.
What is the conservation status of the giant anteater?
Vulnerable.
Why don’t giant anteaters ever completely destroy ant and termite nests?
To give them a chance to rebuild so they can return for more food.
How long is the tongue of the giant anteater?
Two feet.
How many hours a day do giant anteaters sleep?
15 hours.
Where do giant anteaters sleep?
Hollowed-out depressions in the ground.
How many different species of anteater are there?
Four.
What animals do anteaters share an order with?
Sloths.
What are the tow main threats to giant anteaters?
Hunting and habitat loss.
How many years ago did anteaters emerge?
55 million
Do male or female giant anteaters weigh more?
Male
What is the coloring of the giant anteater thought to be?
Warning coloring.
Does the giant anteater have teeth?
No.
Does the giant anteater have a lot of jaw movement?
No.
How many times per second can the giant anteater flick its tongue out?
Three.
Where is the tongue of an anteater held when not protuded?
The pharynx.
What bone is the tongue of an anteater directly anchored to?
The sternum.
True or false? Anteaters swallow at a much faster rate than most mammals, swallowing almost continuously.
True.
Where do anteaters crush their food?
Against the roof of their mouth.
How does an anteater grind up the insects it swallows?
It eats small rocks and the stomach uses extremely strong contractions to grind them up.
True or false? Giant anteaters produce hydrochloric acid just like us.
False. They use the formic acid of their prey to digest things.
Are giant anteaters nocturnal or diurnal?
Nocturnal.
Are giant anteaters good swimmers?
Yes.
What is giant anteater hide sometimes used to make in Argentina?
Rope and saddles.
How is the giant anteater depicted in native culture?
It is a wise trickster that is a foil to the jaguar.
True or false? Women in some native tribes are not allowed to touch anything relating to anteaters.
True. Legend says they will die if they do.
What famous artist wrote a whole essay on how terrifying the giant anteater was?
Salvador Dali.
